Is CNA even worth going for?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I was at the clinic today and I spoke to a girl who was an LPN and me and her got into a conversation about how she went about becoming an LPN. I shared with her that I was going to take a CNA course that was going to be free. She went ahead and said "why? Just go for nursing". Then I went to get my blood drawn by the phlebotomist and she told me she was a medical assistant with training in phlebotomy and I asked her if she thought going for CNA was worth it and she went on a rant. " why would you want to wipe someone's ass? You aren't going to work in a hospital you will work in a nursing home". This made me feel kind of dumb for even thinking of doing CNA but I will take the course and complete it just to say I started from the bottom I guess. I felt that there was so much negativity towards becoming a CNA but I think becoming a CNA will test me to see if I really want this. Any advice? Do you regret becoming a CNA? Has it helped you become a better nurse? Person? Any input will be great thanks!

You should definitely continue your plan to take the CNA course because it is free!!!

Have you found any other medical professional courses that were also free?

Free medical field courses aren't too easy to come by, and many of them have age limits and the requirements usually change every year, so take that free course.

Why go for your CNA instead of going straight for nursing??

Because if you start at the bottom...it is less costly... I've been looking into it, and it so much easier on people financially to work their way through their nursing careers.

So if you are a CNA working toward an LPN, you can use your CNA money to get an LPN...LPN, use your LPN money to get your RN.

If you look for jobs in a hospital, you will get one.

If you look for jobs only in a nursing home, you will get one only in a nursing home.

Completing the course doesn't mean you started from the bottom...actually working for like an entire day means you started from the bottom.

Most people who weren't CNAs have zero respect for CNAs.

I just got my CNA license and so far I do not regret it.

I start orientation for my first job as a CNA and this whole process is making me look at my future.

When I talked to other CNAs and this LPN, they all said that I should stay in school as much as I can and get my RN asap because being a CNA isn't where the money is. I see the stress CNAs go through, they really do not get paid enough most of the time, but they were all very caring of other people.

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I say take it! It's free, and you'll have a greater advantage over others when applying to nursing school. I just finished my CNA course a month ago and it honestly made me want to strive even harder to get my RN degree. I'm glad I did it because although a CNA is a different from a RN it made me realize that helping people was my ultimate goal and I loved it. I say go for it :)

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Free education?? Jump on it! Education can certainly never hurt you.

When I first started considering nursing as a 2nd career, I started with pre-reqs. I told myself I would take one class at a time just to see if I really had an interest. I also read memoirs written by nurses (First 100 Days, Trauma Junkie, etc). The more I learned, the more drive I had to pursue this dream. Two weeks ago, I enrolled in a CNA program that starts this June. I want the experience of being on the floor and working with patients. I understand the tasks of a CNA are vastly different than those of the RN, however, it's still in healthcare and it's going to help me network with RNs. It'll give me a chance to pick their brains, get their opinions, etc (much like we do here on AN ;)). I am on track to start an RN program Fall 2014.

While in the program, I will need to work to help support our family of 5. My currrent job is not flexible enough to work around NS. So, I figure, work as a CNA (preferably in a hospital that last semester or two) so I can get my foot in the door and let them fall in love with my charm and work ethic ;) and pay some bills while I'm at it.

This will also provide an opportunity to build tolerances to the "ew factor". If you've lurked on these threads for long, you've come across those in which students bailed because they couldn't keep their lunches in their stomachs. They had no tolerance for the "ew factor".

While teaching preschool, I cleaned plenty of poopy messes (sometimes diahrrea that travelled) and have been vomitted on a few times so I think I have a tolerance for those. But, my experience is with tiny butts with tiny, healthy bowels, not grown ups who are on multiple medications...medications that can significantly alter odors that are emitted. Mouths tend to bother me more than the nether regions so brushing teeth or dealing with oral secretions may gross me out. We've all seen that boy on the playground who hocked a loogie in the air and then caught it and swallowed it......that makes me gag today just to think about it. I clearly need to work on my tolerance for that kind of "ew factor" and the best way to overcome these things is to deal with them ---- desensitize oneself. If we can built up our tolerance while a CNA, we should be closer to guaranteeing our success in NS.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Being a CNA before going to nursing school is probably the best thing I've done to prepare myself for nursing school. It teaches me to prioritize, to give good and proper care, to deal with nurses, with other CNA's and have the respect of those CNA's I work with in my clinicals. Because I was a CNA for a while before going to nursing school I blew right through Fundamentals with no issue and I barely had to study. I have great confidence in clinicals and don't fear patient care like some of my other classmates did. There are just some things that nursing school can't teach you that experience as a CNA can. And if you DO wind up getting a job at a hospital it will help you all the more with knowing how to do sugars and bladder scans and really prioritize patient care!

Don't doubt yourself, you've made a great decision. It may be hard work, but it will give you a wonderful appreciation of your CNA's when you are a nurse. Good luck to you and God Bless you!

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Runner rd what Hospital can I apply for cna and you work in kids unit how can I do it what you need for that position

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Runner rd what Hospital can I apply for cna and you work in kids unit how can I do it what you need for that position

I work at a children's hospital; all 11 floors are children only. Before NS I was an early childhood teacher (20 years, primarily preschool) so being at a children's hospital was a natural fit for me. My CNA training was the same as anyone else taking the course; I just got lucky and was hired to work with kids and not adults. :)

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I was duel enrolled in a CNA class my senior year in high school, did extremely well, but in the end I decided not to become certified. CNA nursing was not for me (maybe because I did clinicals in a nursing home), but now I'm currently a pre-nursing major working towards my BSN. If the program is free I would say go for it, but i would definitely advise you to work your way up. It's a good start and would make you not only a better nurse, but a better person all around.

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Thank you all for the input :-) now the hard part I guess will be the job search!

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Heres some reasons. I work in a hospital and see nursing students all the time. From what I've seen, RN students who were never CNAs tend to struggle. New RNs who were never CNAs tend to struggle at first. Why? Because they have little or no practical patient care experience, and working as a CNA is some of the toughest and dirtiest patient care experience you can have. You learn to deal with the fact nursing aint all unicorns and rainbows and function in a less than ideal environment with continuous time constraints. RN students and new Nurses find this out the hard way. So it helps prepare you for the realities of the job. Im not saying CNA experience is the end all be all or that its necessary, but its definitely not useless.

As for the Medical Assistant. Yeah being an MA might help you learn a few skills and pay better, and be a little easier than being a CNA. The problem is it takes a fairly long time and a fair amount of money to become an MA, so why bother if you plan on being an RN anyway? Being an MA will also result in no acute care experience, which is fine if you plan on being a nurse in a clinic or Doctors office I guess, but if you want to work in acute care you either learn on the job, or you experience it first as a CNA.

As for LPN. The same argument could be made for being an LPN. If you want to be an RN, whats the point?

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I'm in nursing school now and I've never been a CNA. There are fellow classmates that are and it makes it difficult for them to learn nursing. Most of my teachers say it's better not to be a CNA if you want to be a nurse at least for the testing part because you think like a CNA and it's harder to learn to think like a nurse. I thought going into school I would have a disadvantage and I've learned that I actually have an advantage when it comes to tests and in skills they teach you all of it anyway. Hope that helps.

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I heard the CNA course is practically what you'll learn your first semester in nursing school...so idk how that would put you at a disadvantage... That is why most nursing schools (well in my area) are converting to making CNA a requirement in the application process in nursing school.

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Thanks so much for the advice. I applied to nursing colleges in CT., unfortunately didn't get in I got into waiting list. Now, I have decided to start my way up from bottom. Taking CNA course on May 28-Jun 27 so excited can't wait for it. This is what I have always wanted to do.

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